Hi Stan, Keith Williams brought a Reg Orpin RDS back to NZ from England at the end of the 1968 season, it was pretty quick and embarrassed a few in the wet a couple of times that I saw, but was put away when Keith got a Yamaha going and I know not whence it ended up. I'll make a couple of enquiries as I have a mate in NZ that knows Keith : if anything transpires, I'll be back...

Ah yeah,well anyway..... I spotted an email address for Keith Williams and shot him a note re his Orpin Greeves. This is what Keith wrote back..

"I purchased a new Greeves from Comerfords Ltd (via Greeves) in 1966. Reg Orpin advertised a conversion for 167.00 pounds. Watercooled cylinder, aircooled head with an LE Velo rad mounted behind the engine with 2 air scoops and hoses to feed the air. He also made a new expansion chamber. Reg said he fitted a different cylinder as my one wasn't a good one. I asked him how many he had done and he told me he wasn't doing any more because it cost too much. I was later told the cylinder was off the Peter Williams one. I have never heard of another one. The difference : 1000 revs - from 7000 to 8000, also more reliable as the old cylinder used to rapidly wear the Dykes rings out. No bottom end trouble with the extra 1000 revs. I think the conversion was done in the 1966-67 winter. I used it in the 1967 IoM TT, but used a straight-ring piston which took about 10 mph off the top speed. Was competitive against a Bultaco but when the Jap twins became reliable it was all over. The last I heard of it was when Matt McCahon had it, but Matt died about three years ago so his bro William may have it. The Peter Williams bike had a different frame and possibly tele forks."

So hopefully Keith's info may help you on your quest, Stan. I had a peek on the TT database and Keith finished 26th at 74.9 mph.Regards GD

Hi Glenn,
Thanks for following up on this and posting.
The use of the PW water-cooled cylinder on Keith's RDS would fit with the story I was told that the PW/Orpin bike was rebuilt with a standard motor after Peter crashed it at Snetterton late in 1966. I remember seeing the Orpin customer water-cooled cylinder conversion at the Earl's Court motor cycle show, probably in 66, but didn't pay a lot of attention to it as I was racing my ex-Grant Gibson 4 speed 125 Bultaco at the time. Never thought I would still be racing a Silverstone 46 years later.
Stan

Hi Glenn,Thanks for following up on this and posting. The use of the PW water-cooled cylinder on Keith's RDS would fit with the story I was told that the PW/Orpin bike was rebuilt with a standard motor after Peter crashed it at Snetterton late in 1966. I remember seeing the Orpin customer water-cooled cylinder conversion at the Earl's Court motor cycle show, probably in 66, but didn't pay a lot of attention to it as I was racing my ex-Grant Gibson 4 speed 125 Bultaco at the time. Never thought I would still be racing a Silverstone 46 years later. Stan

As my previous posts. There was at least one other Orpin glycol cooled Silverstone raced by Ray Guy at club events during the very early 70s.I bought my Chat Greeves Silverstone around August 1970 from Martin Harrison and during 1971 Ray had his Orpin Greeves at circuits such as Snetterton and probably Brands Hatch at this time.

As my previous posts. There was at least one other Orpin glycol cooled Silverstone raced by Ray Guy at club events during the very early 70s.I bought my Chat Greeves Silverstone around August 1970 from Martin Harrison and during 1971 Ray had his Orpin Greeves at circuits such as Snetterton and probably Brands Hatch at this time.

Ah yeah,well anyway..... I spotted an email address for Keith Williams and shot him a note re his Orpin Greeves. This is what Keith wrote back..

"I purchased a new Greeves from Comerfords Ltd (via Greeves) in 1966. Reg Orpin advertised a conversion for 167.00 pounds. Watercooled cylinder, aircooled head with an LE Velo rad mounted behind the engine... I had a peek on the TT database and Keith finished 26th at 74.9 mph.

I also have Raymond Guy - Orpin Greeves 27th October 1968 Brands Hatch Kentish 100 as #166 in the 1st heat of he 'Hartley Trophy Race' solo M/Cs over 100cc and not over 250cc' as is again Jeremy lancaster #146 in heat 2..

Ah yeah,well anyway..... I spotted an email address for Keith Williams and shot him a note re his Orpin Greeves. This is what Keith wrote back..

"I purchased a new Greeves from Comerfords Ltd (via Greeves) in 1966. Reg Orpin advertised a conversion for 167.00 pounds. Watercooled cylinder, aircooled head with an LE Velo rad mounted behind the engine with 2 air scoops and hoses to feed the air.

Hi Glenn, Thanks for posting the photo of Keith’s Orpin Greeves. I see that Reg Orpin did the same modification to the footrest hanger frame loop as Peter Williams did to fit the LE Velocette radiator, but Peter went further and removed the rest of the loop as part of his modifications to move the footrests position, reduce seat height and the frontal area. Keith’s frame looks pretty standard except for that one modification.
We are up to our necks in snow here still, but when I can get my Silverstone out of the workshop I will take a couple of photos and post here, assuming I can work the intricacies of posting these.
Stan

As my previous posts. There was at least one other Orpin glycol cooled Silverstone raced by Ray Guy at club events during the very early 70s.I bought my Chat Greeves Silverstone around August 1970 from Martin Harrison and during 1971 Ray had his Orpin Greeves at circuits such as Snetterton and probably Brands Hatch at this time.

Here's a picture taken by my friend Keith Gibbons at an early CRMC meeting at Cadwell in what we think is 1984 of a Greeves owned by a father and son. Tale is that the father was a Professor of some kind and that the bike was pretty quick. Anyone recognise it ?

Here's a picture taken by my friend Keith Gibbons at an early CRMC meeting at Cadwell in what we think is 1984 of a Greeves owned by a father and son. Tale is that the father was a Professor of some kind and that the bike was pretty quick. Anyone recognise it ?

I think that might be the one raced by Martin Studer. He won a bunch of CRMC races on it in the early 80's.

Sadly, I never got to ride the cantilever 750, although I did have a go once on a 1976 model 700 with twin shocks and flat pipes. Very fast in a straight line but a bit of a camel through the twisty bits, so the single shock 750 must have been a vast improvement in the handling department. In hindsight, those flat pipes must have cost an awful amount of horsepower, so the extra 50cc and correct pipes would have been quite a boost. Altogether a vastly superior machine I imagine.

20 Jerry Lancaster, 5 Mick Andrew,6 Charlie Sanby and 80 Brian Kemp in the 1968 "Lord of Lydden"Jerry is riding his newly acquired ex Derek Chatterton TD1B.I only know as Jerry identified them for me this morning, I'm not old enough to know who they are !!!

I wonder why the Chat Yamaha didn't use the original fairing which was more attractive and probably just as functional IMO? Any idea Dixie?Gotta love Brain Kemp' s TD1C. I had a real soft spot for that particular Yamaha model.

I wonder why the Chat Yamaha didn't use the original fairing which was more attractive and probably just as functional IMO? Any idea Dixie?Gotta love Brain Kemp' s TD1C. I had a real soft spot for that particular Yamaha model.

No idea. I guess the only person who could answer that would be Mr. Chatterton.